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Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE (born 30 May 1980) is an English footballer who plays and captain for both his club Liverpool and England.He has played much of his career as a midfielder,but sometimes he has been used as a second-striker and right winger. He has spent his entire career at Anfield,graduating from the club's academy in 1998 at the age 18 and cemented his place as a 1st team player in 2000.He succeded club-captain Sami Hyppia in 2003.His honours while playing for Liverpool includes 2 FA Cups,3 League Cups,1 Communtiy Shields,1 UEFA Champions League,1 UEFA Cup and 2 UEFA Super Cup. Gerrard made his international debut in 2000,and has since represented England in every major competitions.During the 2006 FIFA World Cup,he became his country's top goalscorer with 2 goals.While at the 2010 FIFA World Cup,he became the captain after regular captain Rio Ferdinand was injured.He was permanently named as England captain shortly before the start of 2012 UEFA Europeon Championship,which he was included in the UEFA Team of The Tournament. Gerrard is widely regarded as the best English player ever,as well the best midfielder in his generation.Gerrard came second only to Kenny Dalglish in the "100 Player Who Shook The Kop" - a Liverpool fan poll.Zinedine Zidane said in 2009 that Gerrard was the best player of all time.In 2005,Gerrard was honoured as the UEFA Club Footballer of The Year and won the Balloon d'Or Bronze Award.In addition,he has been named in the PFA Team of The Year 7 times,the UEFA Team of The Year and FIFA World XI three times and was name FWA Footballer of The Year in 2009.In 2010,The Guardian ''named Gerrard to their World XI,existing the greatest players of all time onto one squad.He is,to date,the only player to score in a FA Cup Final,League Cup Final,UEFA Cup Final and Champions League Final. 'Personal Information' Full Name : Steven George Gerrard Date of Birth : 30 May 1980(aged 32) Place of Birth : Whiston,Merseyside,England Height : 1.83m (6 ft. o in.) Playing position : Midfielder 'Club Information' Current Club:Liverpool Number:8 'Youth Career Team' 1987-1998 Liverpool 'Senior Career Team 1998- Liverpool Apps(428) Goals(94) 'National Team ' 1999-2000 England U-21 Apps(4) Goals(1) 2000- England Apps(100) Goals(19) '''Early Life Born in Whiston,Merseyside,Gerrard started out playing for hometown team Whiston Juniors,where he was noticed by the Liverpool scouts.He later joined Liverpool's academy at the age of nine.Gerrard then had trials with various clubs at 14,but success wasn't immediate - Gerrard never maded into the England schoolboys' team.Gerrard's trials included with Manchester United which he claimed in biography was "to pressure Liverpool into giving me a Youth Training Scheme(YTS) contract.He signed his first profesional contract with Liverpool on the 5th of November 1997. 'Liverpool Career' 'Beginning (1998-2003)' Gerrard made his senior debut on 29th of November 1998 in a Premier League game match againts Blackburn Rovers as a last minute substitute for Vegard Heggem.He made 13 appearences on his debut season at Anfield,filling in for injured captain Jamie Redknapp in centre midfield.He also occasionally played on right wing,but he scarcely contributed in the short on-pitch time he recieved,due to nervousness affecting his play,Gerrard recalled in a November 2008 interview with The Guardian."I was out of my position and out of my depth".The Liverpool hierarchy nonetheless remained conviced that he would improve.Gerrard saw himself as a defensive player primarily,looking to make key tackles rather than pushing the team forward. Gerrard began to regularly partner Redknapp on the heart of midfield for the 1999-00 season.After starting the Merseyside Derby on the bench,he replaced Robbie Fowler in the second half but recieved his first career red card for a late foul on Everton's Kevin Campbell shortly afterwards.Later that season,Gerrard scored his first senior goal in Liverpool's 4-1 victory againts Sheffield Wednesday.However,he began to suffered from nagging back problems,which sport consultant Hans-Wilhem Muller-Wohlfarht later diagonised as a result of accelerated growth, coupled with excessive playing , during his teenage years.He was then beset by groin injuries that requires four seperated operations. He went on to recover this,and in the 2000-01 season made fifty-starts in all competitions and scored ten goals in as he won his first major honours with Liverpool - this being the FA Cup,the League Cup and the UEFA Cup.In the following season,he would go on to win the both the FA Charity Shield and the UEFA Super Cup. 'Struggles and uncertaincy (2003-2004)' After a year as a Liverpool vice-captain,Gerrard was permantently become the captain;replacing current Liverpool captain Sami Hyppia in October 2003,as manager Gerard Houllier said that he recognised Gerrard had demonstrated leadership qualities early on,but need to mature.He choose to extend his contract,signing a new 4-year deal with the club. Houllier resigned as Liverpool manager after a trophyless 2003-04 campaign,and Gerrard was linked with a move to Chelsea during off season.He admitted he was "not happy with the progress Liverpool have made",and that "for the first time in my career I've thought about the possiblity of moving on".In the end,Gerrard turned down a 20 million offer from Chelsea to stay with Liverpool and new coach Rafa Benitez. 'Breakthrough and trophies (2004-2007)' Liverpool were wracked with injuries in the 2004-05 season,and a foot injury suffered in a Manchester United match on September shelved Gerrard until late November.He returned to score in the last five minutes of the UEFA Champions League group stage match againts Olympiakos to secure Liverpool's advancement to the Last of 16.He claimed that this is his most important goal,if not the best,goal for Liverpool to date.However,Gerrard netted an own goal in a match againts Chelsea in the 2005 League Cup Final which prove costly as Liverpool lost the match 3-2. In the final of the 2005 UEFA Champions League,Liverpool were heading to the dressings room,3-0 down againts A.C. Milan.After the break,Gerrard's headed goal gave Liverpool some hope,only after Vladimir Smicer to score another goal and Liverpool is back in the game.After Gerrard was fouled by Gennaro Gattuso in the penalty box,Liverpool recieved a penalty and will be taken by Xabi Alonso.He's spotkick was saved by Dida but not the rebound.The match went on to extra-time with Jerzy Dudek make a string of crucial saves.It still tie 3-3 and the match went on to penalty shootouts.Gerrard didn't participate in the shootout as Liverpool won 3-2 and was still named the UEFA Man of The Match,and later recieved the UEFA Club Footballer of The Year award. In regards to his contract issues with Liverpool,Gerrard told the press after the final, "How can you leave after a night like this?".But negotiations soon stalled and on 5 July,after Liverpool turned down another lucarative offer from Chelsea,Gerrard rejected a club-record 100,000-a-week offer.Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry conceded the club has lost Gerrard,saying, "Now we have to move on.We have done our best,but he has made it clear he wants to go and I look its pretty final."The next day,Gerrard signed a new four-year deal as Parry blamed the earlier breakdowns of talks on miscommunication between the two sides. Gerrard scored 23 goals in 53 appearences in the 2005-06 season,and in April became the first Liverpool player since John Barnes in 1988 to be voted the PFA Player of The Year.He scored twice in the 2006 FA Cup Final againts West Ham United,including the equalizer that sent the game to extra-time,and Liverpool won their second consecutive major trophy on penalties.The goals made him the only player to score on a League Cup,FA Cup,UEFA Cup and the UEFA Champions League Finals.Gerrard netted a penalty that send Chelsea crashing out of the 2006-07 UEFA Champions League Semi Finals to return to their second consecutive final in three seasons,which they lost 2-1 to Milan. Gerrard suffered a hairline toe fracture in an August 2007 UEFA Champions League Group Stage Match againts Toulouse,but he returned 4 days later to play an entirety of a 1-1 league match againts Chelsea.On 28 October,Gerrard played his 400th official match for Liverpool in a game againts Arsenal,in which he scored.He scored in all but one of Liverpool's domestic and Europeon matches during the month of November,and after scoring the only goal in UEFA Champions League away tie againts Olympique de Marseille on 11 December,he became the first Liverpool player since John Aldridge in 1989 to score in seven consecutive games in all competitions. 'Continued success and stardom(2007-)' Gerrard made his 300th Premier League appearence on 13 April 2008 in a match againts Blackburn Rovers ,scoring the opening goal,and finished the season with twenty-one goals in all competitions,surprassing the total from the 2006-07 season.Gerrard was also selected for the PFA Team of The Year and he was also nominated for the PFA Player of The Year,alongside team-mate Fernando Torres. Gerrard needed to undergo a groin surgery at the beginning of the 2008-09 season,but the problem was not serious and he quickly returned to training.He scored what happened to be his 100th career Liverpool goal againts Stoke City on 20 November,but it was disallowed after Dirk Kuyt was ruled offside.He achived the milestone eleven days later in a 3-1 Champions League group stage win againts PSV Eindhoven. He made his 100th appearence in Europeon club competitions for Liverpool on 10 March 2009 againts Real Madrid C.F. and scored twice in a 4-0 win at Anfield.Four days after the impressive win againts Real,Gerrard scored from the spot at Old Trafford for the first time,putting Liverpool ahead in a 4-1 win.Following these results,former 3-times FIFA World Player of The Year Zinedine Zidane hailed the Liverpool skipper,saying "Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo but yes, I think he might be." On 22 March 2009,Gerrard scored his first-ever Premier League hat-trick in a 5-0 defeat of Aston Villa. On 13 May 2009,Gerrard was named the Football Writers' Association Footballer of The Year Award(FWA), becoming the first Liverpool player in 19 years to win this.Gerrard has pipped Manchester United duo Ry an Giggs and Wayne Rooney in the poll voted for by journalists,beating Ryan Giggs by just 10 votes.Upon recieving the award,he wasquoted as saying "I'm delighted but I'm a little bit surprised," he commented. "W hen you look at the qualities of players there are in this league,it's a great previlege to win this kind of award." He ended the 2009-10 season with 12 goals and 9 assists from 46 games in all competitions. Gerrard scored his first goal of the 2010-11 season from the penalty-spot in a Europa League qualification match againts Macedonian side FK Rabotnicki on 5 August 2010.His next two goals came on 19 September againts Manchester United at Old Trafford.He scored the first from the spot and the second from a free kick.Eventhough his brace cuts out Berbatov's two goals,he again scored a third and thus Manchester United won 3-2.He followed this up one week later and scored the equalizer againts Sunderland.Eleven days later,Gerrard came off the bench and scored a second half hat-trick againts S.S.C. Napoli in a 3-1 Europa League Group Stage win. Gerrard missed the start of the 2011-12 season due to groin injury,which had kept him out for the most of the 2010-11 season as well.Gerrard would eventually make his first start for Liverpool in 15 October againts fierce rivals Manchester United at Anfield.Gerrard scored Liverpool's only goal with a free kick in the 68th minute which ended in a 1-1 draw. On 29 October,Gerrard underwent a treatment to clear an infection in his right ankle,which was placed in a proctetive plaster cast.He was forced to miss Liverpool's league match againts West Bromwich Albion that day and was ruled out for at least the following week's match againts Swansea City the following week and England's friendly match againts Spain and Sweden the week after.After a prolonged ankle injury recuperation,Gerrard finally returned to regular first team action in the match againts Blackburn Rovers,coming off the bench.On 30 December Gerrard came off the bench to score the final goal in a 3-1 win againts Newcastle United. Gerrard went on to help Liverpool reach their first cup final in 6 years,and their first at Wembley Stadium in 18 years,as Liverpool beat Manchester City 3-2 on aggregate on the semi-finals.Gerrard scored in the both games,both from the spot.Liverpool then won the League Cup on penalties againts Cardiff City after a 2-2 scoreline after 120 minutes on 26th February.On his 400th Premier League appearence for Liverpool,Gerrard scored a hat-trick in 3-0 win againts Everton in the Merseyside derby on 13 March 2012. '2012-13 season' On 18 August 2012,Gerrard played his 250th game as Liverpool captain.He scored his first Premier League goal of the season againts Manchester United on 23 September.He made his 600th appearence for Liverpool againts Newcastle at Anfield.However he cannot inspire them to a win as Liverpool drew 1-1.On 22 December 2012,Gerrard scored in Liverpool's 4-0 trashing of Fulham at Anfield after being set up by Steward Downing who provides a neat pass.Gerrard scored his sixth of the season against Norwich in a 5-0 trashing. 'International Career' Gerrard made his international debut againts Ukraine on 31 May 2000.That summer, he was called up for Euro 2000,making only 1 appearence as a substitute in a 1-0 win over Germany before England were eliminated in the Group Stage.Gerrard scored his first international goal in the famous 1-5 victory againts Germany in a 2002 World Cup Qualification Match on September 2001,and while England qualified,Gerrard was forced to pull out of the squad due to his ongoing groin problems after pulling up in Liverpool's last game of the season againts Ipswich Town. Gerrard scored his second international goal in the Euro 2004 Qualifier againts Republic of Macedonia in a 2-2 draw,his third goal was the opener in a 2-1 win over Serbia and Montenegro on 3 June 2003.He was a regular starter at Euro 2004,scoring once to make it 3-0 in England's victory againts Switzerland in the second Group game of the tournament but England wluld fortunately go onto be eliminated by the tournament hosts Portugal in the quarter-finals;losing 6-5 on penalties in a match when Gerrard was substitued off in the 81st minute for Owen Hargreaves. He participate in his first World Cup in 2006 where he scored 2 goals,both in the group stage,againts Trindad & Tobago and Sweden,although his spot kick was saved by Ricardo as England lost againts Portugal,again on penalties.He was England's top goalscorer throughout the tournament. Gerrard was made vice-captain by manager Steve McLaren,and while he filled in for John Terry as captain,England suffered back-to-back loses to Russia and Croatia that ended their Euro 2008 qualifying hopes.After new coach Fabio Capello took over the team in early 2008,Gerrard was given a trial run as captain but Capello settled on Terry for the role.Gerrard was subsequenly replaced as England vice-captain by Rio Ferdinand. Gerrard helped England to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup by scoring 2 goals in England's 5-1 trashing of Croatia.John Terry was replaced by Rio Ferdinand as captain in 2010,following revelations about the former's private life,and Gerrard subsequently became vice-captain again.When the England team left for the 2010 World Cup,Gerrard was the most experienced player in the squad with 80 caps.During preparations for the 2010 World Cup,however,Rio Ferdinand was injured,meaning that Gerrard was appointed by Capello as captain for the tournament.After the tournament Gerrard,part of a group of England players dubbed the "Golden Generation" , confirmed that he would continue to be available for selection,despite suggestions from Capello that he would seek to rebuild the team. 'Captaincy' In August 2010,Gerrard scored twice in a friendly match againts Hungary which resulting in England winning 2-1.Due to Ferdinand's continued absence through injury,Gerrard retained the captaincy for the opening match of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign againts Bulagaria,which England win 4-0.He was later named permanent captain by new coach Roy Hodgson,in time for Euro 2012.This was the first time he was named directly as the captain of England and not in place of an injured or unavailable captain.He provided three assists and won two man of the match awards to help England finish top of their group in the 1st round,and go through the quarter-finals.Despite their exit on penalties againts Italy,Gerrard was later the only England player to be named in the UEFA Team of The Tournament. On 14th November 2012,Gerrard recieved his 100th England cap in a match againts Sweden and becomes only the sixth player to earn a centurian of caps for the Three Lions. 'International Goals' 1.vs Germany at Olympiastadion,Germany.1 September 2001,2002 WC Qualifiers 1-'5' 2.vs Macedonia at St Mary's Stadium,England.16 October 2002,UEFA Euro 2004 Qualifiers 2'''-2 3.vs Serbia and Montenegro at Walkers Stadium,England.3 June 2003,Friendly '''2-1 4.vs Switzerland at Estadio Cidade de Coimbra,Portugal.17 June 2004,UEFA Euro 2004 3'''-0 5.vs Austria at Ernst-Happel-Stadion,Austria.4 Semptember 2004,2006 WC Qualifiers 2-'''2 6.vs Azerbaijan at St James' Park,England.30 March 2005,2006 WC Qualifiers 2'''-0 7.vs vs Hungary at Old Trafford,England.30 May 2006,Friendly '''3-1 8.vs Trindad and Tobago at Frankenstadion,Germany.15 June 2006,2006 FIFA World Cup 2'''-0 9.vs Sweden at RheinEnergie Stadion,Germany.20 June 2006,2006 FIFA World Cup '''2-2 10.vs Andorra at Old Trafford,England.2 September,2006,UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifiers 5'''-0 11.vs Andorra at Olympic Stadium,Spain.28 March 2007,UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifiers '''3-0 12.vs Andorra at Olympic Stadium,Spain.28 March 2007,UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifiers 3'''-0 13.vs United States at Wembley Stadium,England.28 May 2007,Friendly '''2-0 14.vs Belarus at Dinamo Stadium,Belarus.15 October 2008,2010 WC Qualifier 3'''-1 15.vs Croatia at Wembley Stadium,England.9 September 2009,2010 WC Qualifier '''5-1 16.vs Croatia at Wembley Stadium,England.9 September 2009,2010 WC Qualifier 5'''-1 17.vs United States at Royal Bafokeng Stadium,South Africa.12 June 2010,2010 FIFA World Cup 1-'''1 18.vs Hungary at Wembley Stadium,England.11 August 2010,Friendly''' 2'''-1 19.vs Hungary at Wembley Stadium,England.11 August 2010,Friendly 2'''-1 '''Honours 'Club' FA Cup (2) : 2001, 2006 League Cup (3) : 2000-01, 2002-03, 2011-12 FA Community Shield (2) : 2001, 2006 UEFA Champions League (1) : 2004-05 UEFA Cup (1) : 2000-01 UEFA Super Cup (2) : 2001, 2005 'Individuals' FWA Footballer of the Year (1) : 2009 PFA Players' Player of the Year (1) : 2005 PFA Young Player of the Year (1) : 2001 PFA Fan's Player of the Year (1) : 2001, 2009 PFA Team of the Year (7) : 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Premier League Player of the Month (5) : March 2001, March 2003, December 2004, April 2006, March 2009 Standart Chartered Liverpool Player of the Month (2) : September 2010 , March 2012 Liverpool Top Goalscorer (3) : 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09 Balloon d'Or Bronze Award (1) : 2005 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (1) : 2005 UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match (1) : 2005 UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament (1) : 2012 UEFA Team of the Year (3) : 2005, 2006, 2007 FIFPro World XI (3) : 2007, 2008, 2009 FWA Tribute Award: 2013 FA Cup Final Man of the Match (1) : 2006 Goal of the Season (1) : 2006 England Player of the Year (1) : 2006 Member of the Order of the British Empire: 2007 Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University : 2008 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award - 3rd Place: 2005 IFFHS World's Most Popular Footballer : 2006 Category:Sport